Cybercasting

The Internet becomes progressively more of a multi-media experience with video, audio, interactive data-bases and 'bots', those linguistically clever Internet robots (see above), as part of the mix. There are indications that it will be even more interactive with people making and acting on purchasing decisions at the same time.

Web enabled telephony is already popular and a lot of people listen to music served up via the Internet while they do other things, including working on computer. Telecasts and soundcasting over the Internet brings other advantages in that people go on-line to Web pages (and buy products) when prompted by broadcasters.

The active Internet PR person is already working as getting coverage in on-line broadcasts and this will become more relevant. The only drawback being the numbers of broadcasters and lack of significant information about audience demographics, and life interests.

According to a study by Arbitron NewMedia/Northstar of US Webcast audiences, "Webcasts trigger significant interaction—almost 70 percent of on-line tuners click for content information and almost 60 percent click through for advertiser information, while tuned to streaming media programming." In the USA, almost half of the Webcast audience buy advertised products on-line. “With our latest streaming media study, we have shown that people are responding to the ads and conducting e-commerce while listening to audio and video programs online,” said Greg Verdino, vice president/general manager.

This is an interesting departure. For much of the Internet, advertising tends to get in the way of users needs. In fact banner advertising, though effective has not been the boon many believed it would be. For Webcast users tuned to television and radio stations streaming live programming, advertising provides an immediate opportunity to buy product on-line. It also provides an opportunity to interact with the programmers and Webcast provider and to react to news, events and opinion using a host of communications channels on the instant. Reputation can be changed through reaction to these broadcasts in minutes. The new media is not innocent and some Internet Society members are not all they suppose to be. There is a case for examining how reputation in cyberspace can be enhanced and protected.

Article Series

This article is part 13 of a 24 part series. Other articles in this series are shown below: